Four legs spill out to grip the walls around the arch, and I see its face, eyes and mouth. The rest remains beyond, too large to come through.
Grandmother, we have brought the one you wait for,Aserathiin’s child says.
I see you, little one. You are small in stature but big in heart. I have been waiting for you.
“Who are you?”
I have had many names throughout my existence. The keeper of time, the weaver of history, the archive. I have many forms, and many children in many forms. I am the mother of knowledge, the keeper of truth, and the sentinel of time. The sage are products of my dreaming, tasked to carry the truth of what is and what could be, but that truth has been corrupted by outside forces. My connection to my kin was muted and in some cases severed when the history of this world was changed.
“What? How? How was it changed?”
By great force, will, and great sacrifice. Once by the deva and once by the Asura. By doing so, they succeeded in commandeering the trinity that maintains the balance.
“The trinity? Do you mean the shakti?”
Yes, little one. But the veil will lift soon enough, and we will find ourselves at a crossroads, and you are one of a handful who can carry the truth. You, little one, belong to me.
“I belong ta Leela.”
Yes, child. You do. You are the part of her that was always bound to the past. To truth and knowledge. To the keepers of spirit and time and history. To the archive and remembrance. You are that part manifest, and now it is time to meet those that chose to stay. To wait for you to return. Now you will meet your ancestors. Step inside and receive the knowledge that is yours and yours alone.
Her mouth yawns wide, and a soft green glow spills out.
My body tingles, and a strange tugging blooms in my chest, the kind I usually get when Leela needs me. Yeah, this feels right. This light. This calling. I take a breath and walk into the spider’s maw.
One momentI’m in the stone chamber, and the next I’m in a cozy, cluttered library where four women lounge about reading books. A golden-haired one lies on an armchair, another sits at the table, a cup beside her hand, her short, dark curls falling across her forehead as she reads. The other is spawled on the floor on her front, red wavy hair spilling over her shoulders, book spread out on the rug, and the final one sits in a window seat watching the stars outside, her dark hair falling over her shoulders like a shawl. They don’t move, seemingly frozen in time.
“Hello?” I take a step forward, and a tingle rushes over me. Soft laughter fills the silence, and the scent of coffee and fresh baked bread tickles my nose. I’m pulled into the scene, and the women turn to stare at me.
“Oh.” The one in the armchair sits up abruptly. “I was not expecting that.”
“It’s a rat!” The woman on the floor clasps her hands beneath her chin. “How adorable.”
The woman at the table sets down her teacup and looks across at the one in the window seat. “Auralia?”
Auralia swings her feet to the ground, her dark eyes filled with sorrow. “Come join us for tea, little one. We have much to tell you.”
One blink and I’m sitting on the table, a thimble of tea before me, and the women gathered around me.
The tea smells strong and sweet, but I need ta know who I’m dealin’ wiv before I get comfy. “Who are you?”
“The last sages to remember the truth,” Auralia says.
The woman with the dark curly hair speaks next. “When the first shift happened, we retreated and sought sanctuary in the only place where truth could remain untainted.” She indicates the books around her. “Here truth is held unfiltered. Undistorted. Untouched. Here you will find an accurate history of what was and what is, but what will be has yet to be written.”
“But it comes,” Auralia says. “It is almost upon us, and that part is inevitable.” Her gaze falls to me, sharpening. “Only a soul that is divine, whole, and true can defeat it. There were two imprisoned, one justly and one unjustly. And now they both reside in a new prison.” She tuts softly. “Tethered…like you. No, that will not do.” She looks across at the others. “Agency.”
They all nod slowly.
“Yes, it is required,” the dark-haired one says. She smiles down at me. “Stay still, little one. This will only tingle for a moment.” They all reach out toward me, and I can’t help but duck as their fingers hover over me. A sharp shock goes through me, and I let out a squeak.
“What did you do?”
The golden-haired woman from the armchair beams down at me. “We gave you agency, little one, and trust me, you’re going to need it.”
“Now,” the dark-haired one says, “it’s time for you to start reading.”
“Wait…what?”
